Monday, 31 December 2012

So you think that was it? Here's one last giveaway for 2012 to celebrate a wonderful year! I just started blogging again this year and I think this is a great way to say THANK YOU for following my adventures all the way!

Wednesday, 26 December 2012

Okay! So I am officially starting this challenge. I know this is soo late but I still want to do this.
Background on this challenge here.

Anyway, Day 1.. START!

1. Your first cosplay.
My very first cosplay is Yui Hirasawa of K-On!

Character background:
Yui Hirasawa is the main protagonist of the anime K-On!. She is the lead singer and guitarist of the band, Hokago Tea Time. She is a clumsy yet happy-go-lucky girl who did not have any knowledge in playing instruments for a band before entering the Light Music Club.

Cosplay background:
As you can see, there were many flaws on this cosplay. I was wearing stockings instead of black tights and my two yellow clips, Yui's accessories, are not as close to the ones in the anime. But it was nice to start dressing up for the first time and I instantly had a photographer and supporter: my mother. :)

Forgive the weird poses. I was truly a noob! :)

After this one, the plans kept on coming and I was loving the hobby more and more!

Sunday, 23 December 2012

Impulse buying leads me to this. I was just checking out the figures in a local game store when I spotted this goddess hiding behind the glass.

I was not actually planning on spending any cash that day but she was just so gorgeous and lonely inside the glass display that some evil, unseen jerk convinced me into buying it. (Okay, that unseen jerk is the figure collector ghost in me. LOL)

Anyway, I just wanted to post a couple of shots that I took one night. To eliminate excessive noise, I made use of the new tripod my mom bought for me for my video blogging. I love my mom! :)

C.C. is one of the main characters of Code Geass R2 Lelouch of the Rebellion. She is the one who gave Lelouch, the main character, his commanding power named Geass in exchange for something. What is it? Why don't you watch the anime to find out? :)

No spoilers here, of course!

I used my study lamp as the light and a green filter. I really thnk the color GREEN represents C.C.

My friend commented that this photo is so wrong. LOL

UPDATES:I won second place in in a Christmas party hosted by our club! Yaay! More on that soon!

Friday, 14 December 2012

December's task on Beauty Bloggers Headquarters is blog photography. I voted for this on the last poll and it won! I wanted to share a few things about how I take photos for my blog and maybe read others' methods too. That way, I can learn how to improve my photo blogging since it is mainly the category my blog falls.

Selca with a mirror.

What camera(s) do you use for your blog photography?

I mainly use my Canon EOS Rebel T3 camera since this is only my camera as of now. Sometimes I use my phone camera, Samsung Galaxy Pocket, at times when I am shooting my makeup work since it is easier for me to shoot selca (self-portrait photos) with a phone.

I mainly use natural light since my photos comes out good when I use it. Sometimes I use my study lamp if I shoot in the evening. It's not the best but it is still usable.

Do you use a lightbox (purchased or diy?)?

No. But I am planning to make one for my anime figure photography. I found some tutorials online and I can't wait to start!

Do you use a specific background?

I mostly use a plain background since it is best for products and such. It does not clutter the photo and when people see it, all eyes will be on the product, no distraction whatsoever.

What does your photographing setup usually looks like?

When I am shooting for my makeup works, I usually set up my mini studio composed of: the camera on the tripod connected via USB cable to the laptop, showing live view feed. This way, I can see and shoot my face and parts of it properly. When shooting products and such, just a camera with the product near a lighted window.

What is your top photographing tip for a beginner blogger?

You don't need a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera to shoot great photos. Start with a good point-and-shoot-camera and start taking great photos for your readers. Your words deserve it.

For fun: If you could upgrade your photographing equipment today, what would you buy?

I want a prime lens and a strobe set. I think those are the basic equipment a photographer should have.

Anyway, I am going to start tomorrow since today is the first day of a new rotation and I got a few things to fix before duty starts.

AND
Updates on my great weekend!

December 8, 2012
I visited the last day of Ateneo de Zamboanga Unuversity Fiesta 2012 (ATFEST 2012) and I actually named it "ATFEST Last Day Appreciation" in one of the videos that we recorded during one of the carnival rides in the school. It's with my friend and she's going to upload it soon. For now, here is a GIF to compensate that would-be late post:

I know we're crazy. We can't help it! :)

December 9, 2012And then, we costripped during the Tzu Chi One Mega Fair yesterday!

My friend said that cosplayers were invited so we packed our costumes and invaded the event. I was actually waiting for the pet show but it was cancelled due to some unknown reasons.

Thursday, 6 December 2012

Hey guys! At last I mustered all up my courage and made my very first Video Blog. This video is all about what I have in my everyday makeup kit. I usually bring this whenever I go out for classes or running errands and such.

Forgive everything about the video. I am no public speaker nor a video editor. I am still learning this art from the Internet and other video bloggers on youtube.

Constructive comments are very much needed! I want to improve my VLogging skills a lot. :)

I think I am going to film FAQs about my blog next. I hope I can do better next time!

What I love about this liner is that it's so easy to use and does not mess up when I applied it. It also dries off quickly, but it depends on how many swipes you do (quick dry for a couple of swipes!). Also, the liner is very black, which is a big YES for me. A few swipes and you have totally black line on your eyes!

Notice the face marks I have done? Well, what I also like about this liner is that it's perfect for applying face marks. The YANQINA pen liner is easy to use in drawing any markings needed when I am applying cosplay makeup which requires different face markings.

I was tigress (no particular anime character) and I used the liner to draw whiskers and the nose. :3

Rawr! Kon and me!

Additional pluses on this product:

No funny smell of any kind.

Wore it for a few hours, and I did not feel any irritation or discomforts whatsoever.

Pen-size eyeliner, which is easy to carry and store in my everyday makeup kit.

Swatches I made

So I did swatches on my hand. The first one is a swatch which I moisten it a bit to test if it's waterproof Unfortunately it smudged on my hand. The middle one is a single swatch, and the bottom is a double swatch.

So the negative part of the liner:

It's not a waterproof eyeliner. So if you tear up or sweat hard, it will smudge off.

Would I recommend this product?

Definitely! It's an affordable liner that's worth your money.

That's it! I hope you like my review. What other characters can you think of that needs face marks? I think the Vocaloid Matryoshka team have a lot of markings on their face.